Ingot-mold



l cu2 m2, Fig. 1.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TILLIAM HAINSWORTH, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

INGOT- MOLD.

SPESIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,880, dated November 21, 1882.

` Application filed August 31,1882. (No model.)

To alL whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM HAiNswoRTH, a citizen of the United States, residing atPittsburg, county of Allegheny, State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in Casting Steel Iugots; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, concise, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichlike letters indicating like parts- Figures l and 2, Sheet 1, are vertical sectional views of my improved ingot-mold, the sections being taken in the planes ofthe lines .c w and x', respectively, ot'Fig. 3. Fig. Sis a sectional plan view of the mold, the planes of section being indicated by the broken line Fig. 4 is a perspective view ofa steel ingot illustrative of the form cast in the mold, Sheet 1; and Fig. 5 illustrates by aperspective view a steel deck-beam reduced -by rolling from the ingot, Fig. 4. Figs. 6, 7, and 8, Sheet are views similar to Figs. l, 2, and 3, respectively, of my improved mold,illustrat ing certain modifications in construction and showing a form adapted to make an I-beam ingot, the planes of section in the respective ligures being indicated by the lines z z, z z', and

Az2 z2. Fig. 9 illustrates by a perspective view a steel ingot as made in the mold. Sheet 2;

andFig. l0 is a similar view ot' an I-b`eam reduced by rolling from the steel ingot., Fig. 9.

' In rollin gcertain shapes-for example, deckbeams--from steel ingots it is very advantageous and practically necessary that the ingot should be contracted somewhat in thickness along its central part, or, iu other words, should have greater width ot' section at or near two opposite sides than at some one or moreintei1` mediate points-for example, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 9. Like advantages in reduction are also secured for ma-nyother shapes, though such conditions may not be essential, as in making I-beams, railroad-rails, angles, channels, etc. In got-molds as ordinarilyconstructed are unsuited for casting steel in gots havin g the characteristics ot'form described,from the fact that the form of the mold, especially when expandin g by heat, prevents thenormal contraction of the ingot in cooling, and the steel, be-

ing in a soft and granular condition, is ruptured across the contracted portion of the ingot by the opposing strainsincident to the eX- pansion of the mold and the contraction of the ingot. I have illustrated this action in part in Fig. 4, the genera-l direction of forces being illustrated by arrows. The expanding sides of the mold, bearing against the inside faces of the ingot projections r r, press outward in the direction of the arrows y y, or at least prevent the approach of such parts, while the contracting movement ofthe ingot in cooling is toward the center, as indicated by the arrows yy'. The sides ofthe mold thus prevent the normal movement of the metal in the ingot, and rupture necessarily followsyusually across the central or contracted part,`1".

.My invention relates to the casting of steel ingots of the general form described, and to the construction of a metal mold bywhich such casting is made practicable without injury to the ingot, such mold consisting of yielding side pieces for shaping the contracted portion of the ingot, with means for supporting such side pieces, expanding them by heat prior to pouring in the steel, and moving them back to permit unobstructed contraction of the ingot, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

On Sheet l of the drawings Ihaveillustrated my invention as applied in making steel ingots It, Fig.Y et, for deck-beams S, Fig. 5.

The mold, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is constructed as follows: A rectangular case, A, is employed, open at its ends, and having two opposite sides, a c', of proper form to give the desired shape to the outer faces r3 and r4 of the ingot, one such side, c, in the present instance beingflat, and the other, c', being concave or hollowed somewhat to give a rounded face, r4, to the ingot. These particular forms are not essential, however, but may be varied at pleasure with reference to the particular article to be produced. This case rests upon a plate, B, and that upon a bed, D, the centralpart, d, of which is raised and corresponds in form of cross-sec tion to the mold-cavity A', which it enters, and thus forms a bottom chill as well asa bearing or support for the movable sides of the moldcavity. These movable sides are similar in construction, each consisting of parts e e e2,

(see Fig. 3,) which t closely to each other and IOO to the ends of the sides c c,formingpractically 2 senseoA a continuous wall or inner surface, correspondingin form to theinwardly bent or contracted sides r5 of the ingot. The form in cross-section of these pieces c c e2 is not material, except that sufcient clearance should be provided in rear of them and theback of the joints to permit freedom of movement of one or all from the position shown, Fig. 3, outward toward the sides of the case. At the bottom these pieces rest upon the plate B and againstV the raised chill d, and at the top they bear by lugs or projections e4 against a rim, i, lwhich is seated in a rabbet or recess, i', in the top edge of case A. The movable pieces are held in place again st such bearings by a body of sand, C, or other similar earthy matter-as ashes, pulverized coke, &c.-which is packed in the space between the sides of case A and the back face of the pieces; and in order to hold the pieces firmly in place whilethe sand is introduced, wedges c (see Fig. 6) may be pressed down between them and the case, which will be withdrawn as the sand is packed. Before introducing thesand it is by preference heated quite hot-.say to 1,000O Fahrenheit, more or less. This may be done in any suitable heatin g stove or furnace, and the hot sand betapped direct into the spaces to be filled. The pieces e e e2 and the sides of the case will become heated by contact with the hot sand to or nearly to the temperature of the latter, and will be expanded thereby. If the sand be heated to a high degree, this expansion of the mold will reach a considerable amount of the full expansion caused by contact with the molten steel ot' the ingot, since it is a well-known fact thatnp to, say, 1,000O Fahrenheit temperature iron-eX- pands much more rapidly than at temperatures above that degree. This expansion enlarges the mold in the direction of strain upon the ingot, and being done before the metal is poured `in,it will materially lessen the tendency to such strain. In order to pack the joints between the partsctct e @'62, I make longitudinal grooves fn in the abutting faces of the joints, which register and form core-passages; and these passages are filled with lime cores n', or cores of other powdered or other easily frangible material which will withstand the heat and prevent the sand from sifting through the joints into the mold-cavity.

The mold being thus prepared, the moldcavity is filled with molten steel in the usual way of doingsuch work. As the exterior crust hardens and slowly contracts, the sand packing G will yield under the pressure imposed upon the side pieces, e e e, allowing-them to move outward and relieve such strain.` As soon as the crust of the ingot has cooled suiciently to stand, and before any great degree of contraction therein has taken place, the sand packing C is tapped out by suitable openings, b,at the bottom of case A, thus withdrawing back support from the movable side pieces and permitting them to move outward freely under oontractingpressure from the cooling ingot, thereby leaving the ingot practically free from any confinement which would in any way impose afstrain upon it, to prevent normal contraction and disposition ot' the molecules of metal of which itis composed. When the ingot is cooled sufficiently the mold is stripped o by raising the base-plate B by lifting-rods B; also, the case A may be removed separately by lifting on the handles A2. The ingot will thus be left standing on the chill d, and ma-y be subsequentlyhandled-in the usual way. Y The ingot It thus formed is especially designed for reduction by rolling into deckbeams S, Fig. 5, and the rounded side rtis provided with special reference'to the formation of the rounded head s. The side r3 is reduced to the iian ged face s2, and the contracted portion 1" to the web s. This reduction may be made by any form of suitable grooved rollssuch, forexample, as are used for analogous shapes in iron; and I do not deem it necessary to show the same,as the peculiar diiculties which would be involved in reducing such a product from a rectangular billet oringot of steel will not be encounteredfor eX- ample, raising the projections r without seams and markings which could not be-removed.

In Figs. 6, 7, and 8, Sheet 2, I have illustrated substantially the same construction o'f 9 5 mold adapted in form to the makin g of I-beam in gots, and I have lettered corresponding parts of this mold and that of Sheet 1 with the same letters of reference. Instead, however, of em'- ploying three movable side pieces, as in Sheet 1, I make use of two, m m, on each side, which match with core packed joints n', and are backed with a yielding body of sand or equivalentmaterial, C, as before described. y The operation of using this mold is the same as above described, and need not be repeated.

I do not wish to limit my invention to any specilic number or form of movable or yielding side pieces, as for certain forms of ingots one such movable side wall may be formed in one piece, and thereby relieve the ingot from strain in cooling, which is onerimportant object of my invention. Also, such movable piece or pieces may form one, two, or even all the 'sides of the mold-cavity, and thereby one or more concave or hollowing sides may be made lengthwise on the ingot, and corner or other elevations be made on such sides, which will assist materially the subsequent reduction ot' such ingot to the desired forni of product, whether deck-beams, I-beams, railroad-rails, angles,lchannels, or other forms and shapes.

So far as I aware, it is new with me to cast in metal molds steel ingots with one or more concave sides, as described and shown, and such ingots are designed to become an important article of manufacture, sale, and use in the arts. Such an ingot is not claimed herein, however, but will form the subject-matter of al separate application for patent.

I claim herein as my invention-" l. An in got-mold havin g an inclosed space or IOO IIO

senseo g e chamber separated from the Amold-cavityby a movable metallic `wall with one or more tapholes at its lower end, in combination with a body of heated sand or other equivalent heated and yielding packing in such chamber or space, substantially as described, whereby themetallic wall is held in place by a yielding` support and heated and expanded by contact therewith. l

2. The combination of mold-case A, one or more `separate side pieces, forming movable side walls of `the mold-cavity, and a body of heated sand or equivalent heated and elastic packing between such movable wallsand the sides of the ease, substantially as set forth.

3. An ingot-mold having in combinationan outer case and separateinclosed pieces, forming one or more inwardlyprojecting or curved sides of` the mold-cavity, such pieces being movable transversely within the case, and, a body of sand or equivalent yielding-support between the sides of the case and such pieces, substantially as described, whereby the movable pieces are held in place to form convex or inwardly-bent sides of the cavity as against the weight of metal in the in got, but may yield backward and enlarge the cavityikunder contractin g pressure of the ingot.

4. The combination of 4au outer mold-case, forming two opposite sides of a mold-cavity, separate inclosed side pieces in any desired number, forming one or more convex or inwardly-projecting sides of the cavity, such pieces being movable transversely within the case, and a body of sand or equivalent packing-between the backs of such pieces and the sides of the case, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In combination with an outer mold-case,

of sand'orequivalent packing between such pieces and the case, and frangible cores in the jointsmade by the movable pieces, substantially as set forth. v 7. The combination' ot base D, having raised chill d thereon, bed-plate B, case A, sidle pieces, `e e e2, in any desired form and'number, rim t', and sand back G, substantially as set forth.

8. The moldcase A, having one or more tapholes, b, at itslower edge, in combination with base-plate B, movable pieces e e e2, in any desired form and number, forming one or more sides of the mold-cavity, rim t', and sand body C, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of case A, sand body C, movable pieces e e e2, in any desired form and number, forming one or more sides ofthe moldcavity, and fran gible cores n 'in the joints made by such pieces, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

`'VILLIAM- HAINSWORTH.

Witnesses:

G. L. PARKER, Y WM. A.'HOLMAN. 

